Unlikely Circumstances
by Masamune Reforged
Summary: Jim is kidnapped and tries to come to terms with his feelings as he begins to fall for a a rather unlikely someone... obviously yaoi. Gene has troubles of his own to deal with. UPDATED 4/16/01
1. Default Chapter

Unlikely Circumstances- A Outlaw Star Fanfiction

Prologue- One Normal Night

Disclaimer: Don't own OLS, don't own the characters. 

The streets of Sentinel 3 were deathly quiet, deserted. Being the wee hours of the morning when most where asleep, a feel of loneliness and desolation settled onto the sidewalks and roads, still hosting wisps of paper and trashed that danced on a swift, night wind. Casting streams of light over the frames of houses and shops, filled with activity and bustle during the day, streetlights offered their soft hum as the only noise of the night save an occasional dog barking or car wheels screeching a far way off. There was no moon that night and all seemed colder then normal. Jim Hawking fumbled with the keys as he sat shivering in the parking lot. Gene was back at the bar, plastered. 

/Gene's definitely way to heavy for me to carry all the way to the car/ Jim thought, trying another key, not getting a match. /And he's too drunk to drive home. What in the world would he do if I wasn't around to take care of him ne?/ He asked himself. /Maybe, one day I'll just leave the big lug here, that'll teach him not to chug 9 Flaming Rumbombs/

Since collecting the bounty on a scoundrel named Green Atlas earlier that day Gene had been hell bent on getting to a bar. The red haired outlaw had planned a good drink as celebration for the much-needed money. Starwind and Hawking hadn't been doing so well for a while. This bounty would keep them going, for a little while at least. 

Jim tagged along just because Suzuka and Melfina had gone out to the movies and Aisha was working another seafood restaurant, her eighth such job in a month. Of course nobody could have expected that Gene would get into an argument with a fat man at the counter. The two had decided to settle their quarrel the civilized way, a drinking match. The result: one very drunken Gene Starwind who kept asking for his socks and insisting that the table was spinning. 

/At least he beat that fat guy out of 75 wong. Maybe Gene's found a new skill in life/ Jim thought, grinning. /But I sure as hell don't want to drag his drunken bulk all around town… maybe it's best to just stick to the regular stuff. Like shooting and space fights and pirates is regular stuff... Sheesh, he always manages to get into so much trouble. Urgh! These stupid keys!/

Jim flung his arms up in despair as he came to the very, very last key. Some days you're lucky, some days you're really unlucky. Today had been one of those bad days. Actually, Jim had been feeling more and more depressed lately. It wasn't the lack of money; it was Gene that was missing. The two long time friends and partners had been talking significantly less since the whole incident with Hot Ice Hilda and Melfina, Suzuka and Aisha coming to join them. But Jim cast aside the thoughts of sadness as the key finally clicked into place and the motor roared to life.

"Yes! Finally!" Jim breathed a sigh of relief. "Wow it's already 4, man I'm exhausted."

There were few cars in the lot and those remaining sat unoccupied but Jim instinctively checked the rear view mirror for any other car behind him. Seemingly out of the blue there was a dark figure moving right next to the car, one hand tucked away in a trench coat, the other holding a long, rod-like object.

/What the hell?/ Jim thought, confused. Dread and cold fear making his heart beat faster.

He heard a soft whirring noise and noticed a flash of light but then Jim knew no more.

-end prologue

Note: Bet you can't guess who I'm pairing up with Jim! Hehe… actually I'm sort of disappointed in this part. But don't worry! The action will start to heat up soon. Comments and criticism is always welcome. Just give me a yell at MasamuneEHS@Hotmail.com


	2. Confused

Unlikely Circumstances- an Outlaw Star fic

Disclaimer: Some lucky bastard owns outlaw Star but not me. A little yaoi in this chapter, more in the ones to come. Flames are welcome; I need a laugh every now and then.

Chapter 1- Confused

"All right! Where is he?" Gene's voice rang throughout the room as he threw open the door. "Little brat thinks it's funny to leave me dead drunk at the bar, bet it won't be so funny when I get a hold of him!"

"Gene!" Melfina said, emerging from the kitchen. "Gene, what's wrong?" The bio-android asked, concerned.

"I'll tell you what's wrong!" Gene said stamping his foot. His yellow cloak was dirty and his hair was a mess, the angry frown the outlaw gunman wore didn't help his appearance any. "Jim left me at the bar last night! I go through all the trouble of earning 75 wong by out drinking this fatty and he leaves me!"

"Jim didn't come home last night," Calm as ever, Suzuka's voice floated from a couch facing the TV. "We all assumed he was out somewhere with you. Since neither of the two of you returned we figured you were out spending some quality time doing stupid macho, manly stuff."

"Huh?" Gene asked, not grasping exactly what was going on. "Jim didn't come home last night? But, wait a second, I don't…" Gene clapped a hand to his forehead, completely lost.

"Are you feeling alright Gene?" Melfina asked, a worried frown appearing. 

"He looks real hungover to me!" Aisha's piercing voice cried out. The Ctarl-Ctarl had been rolled up in a ball in front of the TV but since the commercial break had listened in on the conversation. "Had a little too much last night ne?"

"Tell me about it…" Gene muttered, his head throbbing. "I haven't felt this bad in a long time. And walking all the way back here just made it worse. I really need a shower…"

"I need a haircut too," Gene said, shaking his head, his bangs falling over his eyes. " At least we can relax for a bit. We've got enough cash to keep us going for awhile."

The red haired outlaw started off towards the bathroom. Aisha turned her attention back to the soap opera on TV. Melfina timidly started towards Gene who turned around and flashed her a crooked smile.

"Want to join me?" Gene asked, all too seriously, making Melfina instinctively back up. 

"No," She replied. "But Gene, what about Jim?"

Waving a hand as to dismiss the thought Gene turned away again. "Jim's gone on his own a few times. He can take care of himself. If we don't hear from him by nightfall then I'll start worrying. Jim's like a brother to me, I'd never let anything happen to him."

Melfina sighed, overtaken by the sincerity and emotion of Gene's statement. Happily she thought to herself that of course Jim would be all right, Gene will always be there for him. But Suzuka's calm voice again broke the peace. 

"What if something happens to Jim that's out of your control?" Her question stung into Gene, even as he left the room. 

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/Dark… Why's it so dark? How long was I asleep? When did I fall asleep? I… I didn't go home last night… What happened? God my head hurts… Hey, there's some light/ Thoughts, battered, shaken and confused. A crack of light ran across an otherwise completely dark area. 

"Glad to see you're awake kid," A rough voice floated out of the dark. 

A shadow blocked the light for a moment and then there was a clicking sound. The lights went on and caused Jim to immediately squeeze his eyes shut. Spots swam as Jim turned away from the light source. 

"Hehehehe," A deep chuckle, came to Jim's ears, sending chills down his spine. "Just a kid…"

/Where am I? What's going on? Last night in the parking lot/ Putting back together what's broken in the past isn't as easy as it you think.

"Come on kid, open your eyes, the light's not that bright," The rough voice came again, followed by the sound of somebody sitting down in a chair. "You've been out cold for a few good hours. Guess that maybe I had the power cranked up a little high when I blasted you. Heh."

"Who are you? What do you want you bastard?" Jim snapped, angry and upset. Something in the man's voice, perhaps the calm nature of it irritated Jim but also made him fill with fear.

"Such language! Kids these days have no respect," Was the sarcastic reply. "But I will tell you my name, since I already know yours, Jim Hawking. I'm Ron MacDougal. The pleasure is mine, of course."

"You scum! You're a lowdown, good for nothing kidnapper, that's all you are! Don't try to sound so smug and calm with me," Jim shouted, staggering to his feet and facing his captor for the first time. 

/Don't let him see you're afraid/ Jim told himself, but refusing to look his captor in the face. The manner and ruthlessness in Ron's golden brown eyes was unnerving. /Everything will turn up right. Gene will come and rescue me. Just stay strong; when things get rough you just have to laugh a little/

"You're scared," Ron's voice was dark, calm, but with an evil underlining. "Yes, you're scared. You have no clue why I've gone to all the trouble to catch you alive. You don't know how long I'll keep you alive, why shouldn't you be scared?" 

Jim's heart was filled with dread and dead fear at these words. It was spoken so calmly, so matter-of-factly, but it was a threat on his life. A faint ringing sound was heard and the dark, mercenary broke his gaze from Jim. Ron went to stand up and with a last dark glare at Jim opened the door.

"Hey Ron! Pizza's here!" A loud, almost carefree, cry rang out from somewhere.

"Yeah, I'm coming Harry!" Was the gruff, loud reply, as the metal door slammed shut.

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As the room was plunged into darkness, Jim shimmied closer to the door. From what he could see there was no barrier between him and the door, which he'd noticed Ron had unlocked. A wide smile broke out across Jim's face as he stood.

/Those idiots/ He thought, hardly able to believe his luck. /Mr. Tough and ugly Ronald MacDougal forgets to lock the door! It can't get much easier then this. I'll be out of here in no time! /

BAM!

The impact made Jim reel backwards and his feet gave out from under him. It was like walking into an invisible wall. Actually, that was exactly what it was. Standing up again, and curiosity getting the best of him, Jim moved towards the unseen barrier, a hand stretched out cautiously. 

/Guess they aren't as stupid as I thought/ Jim scolded himself, running a hand over the ghostly divider that kept him enclosed. /This is actually pretty advanced stuff, it's gotta be some sort of magic barrier. At least I know that these aren't amateurs. But I really wonder how long he'll keep me here? What does he even want with me? /

The silence and Ron's departure gave Jim a chance to look around his cell. It was dark and almost entirely made of bricks, illuminated a pale color by the lone, bare light bulb that hung on the other side of the invisible wall. 

The section that Jim was confined in consisted of only a small, grimy, toilet, that made the poor boy shudder just thinking about having to use it. Aside from the toilet there was a tiny plank that stuck out from the wall, on it lay one blanket, ratty and torn. To Jim the cell looked ancient, a relic leftover from an era long ago. Seeing nothing else to do, Jim walked over to the bed and lay down. 

His head still hurt and as he went to rub the spot his hand came away with a small amount of blood. Jim looked at it for a moment. It wasn't much but the tiny dabble of his own blood made Jim realize the terrible peril he was in. It was no laughing matter. These were cold-blooded killers, the MacDougals, that held is life in their hands now.

/Gene won't leave me though/ Jim thought to himself, trying to grasp any small hope of comfort in the cold, dank cell. /Gene cares about me. He'll find out where I am and teach those MacDougals a lesson or two. Everything will be all right. Just remember to laugh when you're feeling bad. Just laugh/

-end part 1

Note: This fic is finally taking real shape in my mind. Don't worry, even though I'm using Jim in a yaoi situation it won't be graphic. I don't think i could bring myself to write something like that... So just to let all of you out there know that I'm not some kind of sicko and that the yaoi relationship will be light and almost more of a brotherly thing then anythign else. Next part should be interesting...

masamune


	3. Dreams & Suspects

Unexpected Circumstances- A Outlaw Star fic

Author: masamune

Warnings: Hints and flickers of yaoi in this part, more to come, angst, and language

Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star, don't sue me!

Archive: As with all of my fics, feel free to grab it and archive if you want. I haven't submitted any of my OLS stuff to any website yet so it'd be an honor.

Note: I NEED A FAVOR!!! PLEASE READ THE MESSAGE AT THE BOTTOM FOR MORE DETAILS!!! Also, I don't know anything that happened pre-OLS but I'm just speculating and adding my own little twist in some parts.

Part 2- Dreams and Suspects

Jim was dreaming. He knew it had to be a dream because it was the old days again. No Melfina, no Suzuka, no Aisha, no Hilda, no XGP, it was the old days again. That's how Jim knew he was dreaming, because he was sitting on a couch in the flat that he and Gene used to live in, just the two of them.

It seemed so very long ago. The memory was faded yellow, like an ancient photograph or a drawing that's been out in the light too much… faded but cherished. The sound was fuzzy and distant. The voice on the TV sounded as if it were projecting from a gramophone some distance away. Jim slouched in the couch, bored, but not wanting to wake up.

/These dreams are nice/ He thought, the announcer's voice on the TV droned out. /It's always just Gene and me, like it used to be… No, it's not that I dislike Melfina, or even Suzuka… and I can actually tolerate Aisha on some occasions… no I don't hate them at all. It's different now though…/

The old flat smelled funny, mostly having to do with the old man that cleaned it from time to time. Jim had long forgotten the name, but not the smell. 

/There's no way to get back here except in my dreams/ Jim wistfully thought, standing up and surveying the room. /It's all in the past and there's nothing to do but go on/

The door opened, Gene came in, carrying a bag of groceries. His red hair fell over his eyes and he stumbled a bit in the door. A little younger, a few less scars, but it was the way Jim liked his memories best of the outlaw. 

"Aniki! You're home!" Jim cried out, the room seemed less faded.

"Hey Jim!" Gene said, smiling and peering over the tall bag. "Let me just put this thing down will ya?"

Gene got over to the old white table that they used to eat dinner with. Less than a month from now it would be blasted into bits by an angry thug, seeking revenge on Gene with a rocket launcher. The red haired outlaw turned and Jim ran towards him and hugged him, wrapping his much smaller arms around Gene's waist.

"Hey what's wrong buddy?" Gene said, patting Jim's hair. "I haven't been gone that long. What? Miss me already?" Gene smiled and said with a chuckle.

/I do miss you Aniki/ Jim thought. /You have no time for me now, you're always too busy. I'm just an annoying little kid that gets in the way… Have I changed that much? Or has everything else changed?/

"Yeah, I did miss you," Jim answered, looking up into Gene's blue eyes.

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Gene stared dully at the TV screen. He usually didn't watch the late shows, but he also didn't feel up to doing the usual Saturday night on the town. His legs were propped on the living room table and he was actually quite comfortable. Gene may have looked as lazy and relaxed as he normally did, but he was nervous and feeling down.

/Jim still hasn't come back/ He thought to himself, his train of thought again resting on his long time partner and friend. /He hasn't even contacted us yet. He must be really mad this time… I wonder what I did to cause it now? I haven't been spending as much time with him lately though, and when we do talk it's just squabbling over money matters. I swear, if Jim weren't so uptight all the time we'd work things out/

With one last glance at the TV, Gene turned it off and started for his room. But as he shut the lights off he suddenly didn't want to sleep. If Jim did come home, Gene didn't want it to be to a dark house. So instead he sprawled out on one of his cots.

"If I were more serious and responsible he wouldn't have to be," He said aloud to himself. "He's just a kid."

/…It's true. I haven't given him nearly as much attention and care since we found the Outlaw Star. So many things have happened since then, so many people have gotten involved and it's all so complicated now. But that's no excuse…/

/Jim's like family to me/ Gene rolled over on his side. /He's more then a friend. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I ever lost him/

That's when the videophone rang. The loud disruption shook Gene a little. He couldn't help but hope that maybe it was Jim, calling to tell him he was all right, and that he wanted to come home. The phone rang again, Gene picked it up.

"Ohayo Jim!" He said cheerfully into the phone. Who else wold call at 2 in the morning?

"Ohayo Mr. Starwind. I see that even in the wee hours of the morning you retain a cheery attitude," A raspy, drawl came back over the phone.

"Who the hell is this?!?!" Gene cried into his end, infuriated that anyone would call him at this time of night. He was also extremely disappointed that it wasn't Jim.

There was a chuckle and a soft sigh followed by, "My name is Jijomi Zorlin. Perhaps, Mr. Starwind, you should turn on your videoscreen and then we could see each other."

"I'm not up for phone sex, if that's what you were thinking," Gene retorted sharply, but switched on the monitor anyway. The image blurred for a minute and slowly came into focus. "My you're ugly!"

"We cannot all be blessed with good lucks Mr. Starwind," Said the stranger. "If noone were ugly, noone would be beautiful either."

And the man on the screen was definitely one of the ugly ones. He had very dark, almost olive colored skin. White hair fell around his shoulders, accompanied by a crooked nose and a dark brown coat. Two, intensely brown eyes peered out from what seemed to be sunken craters in the man's head.

"Good thing there are uglies like you old boy!" Gene said, his smart aleck sense overcoming his better judgement. "And enough of this 'Mr. Starwind' crap. Your polite nature is as fake as they come."

A frown appeared on the mysterious caller's face and he shook his head. 

"Mr. Starwind, you misunderstand my manners," Jijomi replied sullenly. "Perhaps it's best we get straight to business. Do you understand me?"

"Sure grandpa, I hear ya."

"I have accepted a contract with a certain faction that does not desire itself to be identified at this time," Jijomi rapidly said. "I am going to kill you and reclaim the XGP. That is all I can tell you about my orders for the time being. But I am no common mercenary; I will tell you my parameters. Number 1…"

"Excuse me, excuse me, wait just a second there Jijokyo," Gene said, waving his hand. "I didn't quite catch that. You're going to kill me? And take the XGP? Sorry, but that's been tried before and it doesn't ever work. I don't know who you think you are but you're just an ugly old coot to me."

"My name is Jijomi Zorlin," Came the calm response, "And that is exactly what my contract says I must do. Listen well! And do not interrupt, you may learn some grace yet… I will not attack you while you are in your home, nor on the street while you are unarmed. I will also not attack you without first giving some form of warning. I will not take hostages and I will only use the same form of weapon as you. Say you have a knife, I will not draw a gun on you. If you are in a passenger ship I will only fire machine gun armaments…"

"Goodnight Jidototi," Gene said firmly, thoroughly irritated. "You're pretty amusing and all, but it's real late and I got to get my beauty sleep. You should too, you look like hell. Sayonara!"

"My name is Jijomi Zor…" A slightly angered response came, only to be cut off as Gene turned off the videophone. 

/Those damn pirates… won't they ever learn that they can't beat me? / Gene thought, going back to his cot. /What was that old guy's name anyway? Kijoli Zorro? Whatever…just another dried up old geezer… But maybe HE has something to do with Jim's disappearing…/

Gene sat down on his cot and looked out of the clear glass windows. He doubted he would sleep tonight. Gene couldn't get the thought out of his mind that Jim was out there somewhere, possibly in trouble, even worse, possibly dead… and he was sitting around like a lazy slob.

/That guy said he didn't take hostages though… was that a lie? / Gene shook his head, guys like that tended to stay true to their word. /But if that's the case, where's Jim? /

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"Hey, come on, your food is getting cold, wake up already." 

Jim stirred, throwing the thin blanket on the floor and almost rolling off with it. It was a relief to have the musty rag off of him, but Jim felt cold as he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes. He had slept well, and waking up to this harsh, tight cell was something he didn't take much joy in. But the word 'food' did hold a certain hold on him.

"Have a good sleep?" Said the same voice, almost with a curious tone. Jim noticed that it wasn't Ron who was talking to him. "You better hurry up and eat before I take your food away though."

Jim looked at and began to identify this new person. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the sight in front of him. Harry MacDougall was sitting in the same chair Ron had, but filled it in with a completely different presence. Ron had made the room seem dark, mundane, but his brother seemed to naturally fill the place with a strong sense of life that Jim appreciated.

Harry's blue hair looked almost appeared green in the light, it fell in waves over Harry's shoulders and back. Harry's yellow, sleeveless was lazily thrown on, the fur trim adding an exotic touch to his outfit. Jim couldn't help but notice how good looking Harry was. 

/I thought the MacDougalls were brothers/ Jim thought confused, /But this guy doesn't look a thing like the other guy. He's younger, and… he's just different from that lowlife, Ron, in some weird way/

Jim went over to the tray of food and wrinkled his nose. It looked like gray slop pretending to be oatmeal. It was in a dish along with a plastic cup filled with water. Something was lying on top of the pile of mush that caught Jim's eyes. He immediately picked it up.

"Pizza crust?" He turned and his eyes met with Harry MacDougall's for the first time. 

"I can't stand the crust," Harry replied simply, shrugging. 

Jim wolfed down the piece, then looked at the rest of his food. Even though he was starving, Jim was hesitant to eat the gray stuff. Jim wasn't exactly a gourmet, but the pile of mush wasn't exactly five star cooking either...

/Looks like the oil we use on the Outlaw Star's turbine stocks/ Jim noted.

"You'd better eat it," Harry said, noticing Jim's hesitation. "Ron will get pissed off if you try to go on a hunger strike or some crap like that. And besides, it won't help you get out."

/Maybe he is just like his brother/ Jim thought, Harry's voice was almost threatening. /But they still look so different from each other…/

"I wasn't planning n escaping," Jim said, matter of factly.

"Oh really?" Harry replied, straightening up in his seat and leaning forward. "You mean to say that you like that cell?"

Jim shook his head and replied, "Gene's going to come and get me out of here. He'll kick your asses and YOU'LL be the one in here."

Harry chuckled then said, "Well the only way this Gene guy is going to save you is by handing over the XGP and that bio android girl. And don't forget that you're really in no position to threaten me."

"Maybe that'll change soon," Jim countered sharply. 

Harry's face contorted into a mask of anger. For a moment Jim regretted his words and feared that the young outlaw would make him regret it even more. But the moment passed and harry let out a good, hearty laugh. This completely threw Jim off guard. It was his turn to be angry as Harry looked up from his laughter and grinned.

"What's so funny?" Jim asked, but checking his tone so as to not upset his enemy. 

"You really do trust this Gene a lot," Harry said. "The impression I got from him was that he was a lazy, careless bungler that managed to get the XGP on a fluke. But it's obvious that you sure have a lot of faith in him. We haven't made contact with him yet, Ron figured it'd be best to let him stew for a bit and then give him our demands."

/So they're holding me for ransom on the Outlaw Star and Melfina/ Jim thought to himself, finally piecing the puzzle together. Then a worried thought came to him. /Will Gene actually give them the Outlaw Star and Melfina?/ The question was heavier than it seemed at a distance. /The Outlaw Star is our only real source of income. And I don't think gene would ever give Melfina up for anything? …So where does that leave me? /

"Hey you look worried," Harry saw the frown on Jim's face and said. 

"What do you care?" Jim brushed him off coldly, not wanting to talk with this guy who was probably only pretending to be friendly. "As long as I'm in good condition when the ransom is made, what do you care about me?"

Harry looked away, not really sure of what to say but feeling that it deserved some answer. A silence fell between the two and the only noise was the bare light bulb's buzzing. Finally Harry turned back to Jim, looking as if he wanted to say something.

"We're not as cruel or cold hearted as you think," He said, drawing Jim's attention. "Me and my brother do what we're good at, and while it may get messy and sticky, I don't think you can say your Gene's much more innocent than we are. We do what we need to get the job done, everytime, but that doesn't make me a bastard ne?"

Jim smiled a little. /He does seem to be a pretty nice guy/ He thought. /Maybe I shouldn't give him such a hard time, it'd make things a lot easier while I'm still here/

"Come on," Harry said with a soft, luring tone. "You look down, is there something you need?"

"Well for starters you could let me out of this cell."

"Nice try, but no."

"Well…" Jim started, then glanced around his cell. "A mattress or a cot would be nice. Have you ever slept on that slab of rock?" He pointed at the small metal bed. "And an extra blanket would be nice too…"

Harry grinned and got up, "All right," He muttered. "It is a little cool in here. I'll get you another blanket, but I don't know about a cot… I'll see what I can do."

He started to walk to the door but Jim stopped him by saying, "Oh and maybe something else to eat?"

The violet-eyed mercenary turned and eyed Jim, who gave his best puppy dogface. Harry waved a hand at him and said, "I think there's an extra piece in the fridge."

"Arigato," Jim said, smiling back, overwhelmed by how nice his captor was to him. 

-end part 2

Note: I REALLY, REALLY need feedback on this part. Especially the whole thing with Jijomi. I started writing it figuring I'd give Gene something to distract him from going al out, searching for Jim… but I think it's a little cheesy and a bit too much like Leilong in the actual series…and I know some people don't like original characters popping up. So I'm going to see what you, the readers say. PLEASE tell me how you feel about him, in or out? If you all vote out, I'll come back and adjust this part and he'll never have existed. Just please, please tell me what you think. Send to [MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com][1]

Oh, and if you couldn't tell I'm going to pair Jim up with Harry. But only mild shounen-ai stuff… Jim's a bit too young for anything more, at least in my mind. 

Arigato!

masamune

   [1]: mailto:MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com



	4. Reflections & Phone Lines

Unlikely Circumstances- A OLS fanfiction- by masamune

Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star or any of the characters.

Warnings: Shounen-ai, angst, some foul language 

Archive: If anybody even has an OLS fanfiction archive I beg them!

Pre-note: I know that I've seen it different ways but the crew at outlawstar.org say MacDougall is actually the correct spelling rather than McDougal or other forms like that. Also, I'm still not sure about adding my own original character Jijomi Zorlin to the plot. I've gotten mixed responses to him… So I'll add him every now and then as a hindrance to Gene, but I'll hold gene up in other ways, as you'll see in this part.

Part 3- Reflections & Phone Lines

The rain poured down on the glass panes. The consistent thump of heavy drops allowed for a quiet, mundane, and dreary evening. The night air was cold and misty, fog rolled over the streets and buildings. The rain had started after twilight, only as soft innocent drizzle, now it hurtled down from the clouds endlessly, dampening the night streets and sidewalks.

"Stupid rain," Harry muttered to himself, as he scowled out the window of the apartment. The fog blocked the view from the 32nd floor penthouse that he shared with his brother. 

/How come people always say the rain is so 'fascinating and romantic'? / He wondered to himself, walking over and cranking up the thermostat. /It's only cold and messy. I honestly just don't know what anyone except farmers could see in it/

The door from Ron's room closed and Harry noticed his older brother was wearing one of his heavier jackets. 

"What're you doing going out in this weather?" Harry asked, turning from the window.

"I'm just going to stock up on weapons and stuff," Ron answered, checking to make sure he had his keys. "A buddy in the Space Forces has arranged for some more toys for us. I won't be long, just check on that kid, make sure he's not up to anything Ok?"

"He's just a harmless kid Ron," Harry replied, shrugging. "I don't think he can do much of anything to hurt us. But do you really have to go out tonight?"

"Why? Was there something we were supposed to do?" Ron was in a hurry but noticed a hint of disappointment in his younger brother's voice.

/We were going to see that movie I asked about last week/ Harry though sadly to himself. But all he said was, " No. There's nothing."

"When I get back we'll call Gene Starwind," Ron paused at the door. "If he gives a damn about that kid he'll hand over the XGP and the girl without conflict."

"I sort of feel sorry for the poor boy," Harry wistfully said, knowing that he really did feel sympathy for Jim. "It must be scary for him to be in this situation. If strangers grabbed me off the street and held me for ransom I'd be scared, and I'm not an 11 year old anymore, he is."

"Don't get soft on me now Harry," Ron offered solemn support. "Just remember to keep it professional. I'll be home as soon as I can. See ya later."

The door closed and Harry was left in the room alone. The rain pounded just as before on the windows and rooftops. Harry sighed and turned back to looking out the window at the calm night sky. He thought about going out to a club or just driving around town, but none of those options seemed to interest him. Going out and spending time with people he didn't know, people he'd never see again, wasn't what he was hoping to do tonight. But he had few options otherwise.

/Sentinel is such a strange place/ He thought turning away from the window. The sight of skyscrapers a mere 60 stories high was nothing outstanding. /And a place called New York City can't be anything normal. I've never been so bored in my life/

He got up and paced around the room for a minute. He thought about brushing out his hair but knew it would only be a waste of time, since he'd have to do that exact thing the next morning. Then a thought hit him, and as strange and uncouth as it was, it brought a smile to his face.

/Since there's nothing to do I might as well go and talk with Jim/ He concluded, walking towards the door. The elevator to the basement where the poor boy was being held was just outside. 

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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE SHUTTING DOWN MY PHONE LINES?!?!?!"

Aisha, Melfina, Gilliam and even Suzuka shivered as Gene's scream echoed through the house. It had been what you could call… a bad day…

First Fred Lowe had called. He'd requesting the money that Gene owed him. Of course, Gene couldn't possibly pay back all of the wong he owed the arms dealer, but he'd managed to put off Fred's demands for another three days. At that time Gene would have to go visit Fred personally.

It was at midday that the worst call of all had come in. The Power Company was rather upset; it turned out that Gene hadn't paid his electricity bills in over four years. 

"Listen! I know that I'm a little behind on my payments," Gene begged the representative over the videoscreen. "But just give me a few days to pull out a few loans and I'll pay you back in full," The red haired outlaw pleaded. "You can trust me beautiful, I never lie to a girl."

"We've already talked to several of the major banks," The indifferent, blonde woman on the screen replied. "All of them considered your past credit history and advised us not to believe any such claim that you'd find a loan."

"What about the other banks?" Gene asked hopefully.

"They don't have enough money in their possession to clear your debt Mr. Starwind," The woman said.

"It's that bad huh?" Gene said aloud and rubbed his hand to his forehead. "Would it make a difference if I told you that you're the most beautiful thing I've seen all day and that I'll treat you to dinner?"

"No, you thick-headed male chauvinist pig. I don't go that way," was the sharp retort. "Besides, you won't have enough money to pay for a dinner at Burger Star after we're done extracting the money from your account. The amount you have is enough to pay your heat, water, electricity and gas bills. But you're going to have to do without a phone service for a while."

/Goddamn lesbians! / Gene thought, frustrated and tired.

"Now, now, wait just a second baby," Gene stammered, coming up short of ideas. "Uh… how about this? I know a very close, very generous friend that would be more than happy to pay off the debt for me…"

"If you gave me three wong for every time I've heard that one, I'd be rich enough to buy a contract on your fat head," Came the dark answer. The connection was cut and the image on the screen faded. 

/You and everyone else… I've already got enough people hunting me…/ He remembered the events of last night's phone call. /First Jim disappears, and then that ugly assassin threatens me, Fred wants his money, and on top of all that we've got no phone lines… This was starting off to be a good week too…/

He walked back into the living room feeling defeated and deflated. Nothing seemed right. The whole entire house was gloomy and even Aisha was quiet. Not having Jim around took much more out of the atmosphere than any of them could have ever imagined. As he entered Melfina gazed over at him.

"Is everything alright Gene?" She asked in her usual, innocent way.

/I'm broke, I owe people stacks of cash, I've got a contract on my head and above all my best friend is gone/ Gene sullenly though, almost irritated by the naïve question, /How come I've got such bad luck? /

Gene shook his head; he couldn't even look Melfina in the eye. He walked to his favorite chair and was about to sit when Aisha yelled from the other side of the room.

"HEY! I can't get a dial tone! I'm supposed to report regularly to the Consul of the Ctarl-Ctarl!" She whined loudly, shaking the phone receiver in her hand. "Stupid human phones! Gene! What's wrong with this thing?"

"The Power Company cut off our phone lines," He said dryly, it was like rubbing the wound with salt. "There isn't anything we can do about it until I get enough money to pay them back…"

Aisha tilted her head sideways and answered, "Meow. If Jim was here, he could just hack into their mainframe and do something about that I'm sure! But it looks like the job will be up to me! It looks pretty easy the way Jim does it. It sure can't be anything a Ctarl-Ctarl can't handle!"

"We can't connect to the Internet Aisha," Gene reminded the cat-girl. "That phone line is down too."

"Meow," Aisha answered, "Then I can't think of anything else to do… Hey! How about we all go out to eat and think about it then! You can't think on an empty stomach ne? There's a delicious seafood place right across town that we could go to! Yeah! It got a great review in Fish&Chips Weekly…Hey! Gene! Where're ya going?"

The outlaw had thrown on his yellow shawl and was heading for the door. He threw a sidelong glance at the proud Ctarl-Ctarl warrior and tried to manage a smile. He came up with a poor attempt and Aisha could tell that Gene was feeling pretty down. She guessed he was going out drinking again. The thought had crossed Gene's mind actually, but he had another plan in mind.

/It's been long enough/ He'd told himself earlier, /Something seriously wrong's happened to Jim. I'm such an idiot to not have acted sooner. He always tells me that I don't take things seriously enough… he's right. I don't know what happened to him… I can't think of a single place to start looking, but doing something is better than nothing/

"You're going to go look for Jim aren't you?" Melfina called after him, standing up and walking towards Gene. "Do you think he'll be ok?"

Despite his dark premonition Gene managed a smile and answered optimistically, "Don't worry about Jim. He's a smart kid and always manages to get out of tough situations. He's got the devil's own luck too. I'm going to go try to find him though, just to make sure."

/Yeah, Jim's smart, but it's too easy for something to happen to him that he can't stop/ Gene told himself, wanting desperately to get out on the streets to begin his search. /All I can hope is that I'm not too late to help him/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

/He looks so small and frail when he sleeps like that/ Harry was thinking at the very same moment. /It's strange, I've never really connected with anyone except Ron, but I feel that this boy and I, share something. Maybe it's that we feel abandoned by the world, like there really isn't any place for us… at least that's how I feel sometimes. How could I know what he thinks though? /

He'd come into the room that was serving as a cell for Jim with the intention of striking up a friendly conversation. That in itself was a strange occurrence. Harry hardly ever spoke to anyone outside of the crews on both the El Dorado and the Shangri-La, and they were only working partners. There was no bond of friendship, just loose comradery. 

/Might as well stay here until he wakes up/ Harry said, slouching comfortably in the chair by the door. /There's nothing good on TV here anyway/ He rationalized, knowing that it was just a lame excuse for staying down here with Jim. 

/What am I really doing down here? / He asked himself. /There's no purpose for me to stay, especially when the kid's asleep. Ron just warned me about not getting attached to him, and I think that's exactly what I'm doing/

Harry's eyes roamed over the dank, dim cell. It was terrible living conditions. It made Harry shudder with the reminder of the dark, smelly back alleyways and streets that he'd grown up on. He felt another pang of guilt at holding Jim hostage like this, treating him so badly.

/First thing I'll do when Ron gets back is talk about transferring him to a different place… There's no reason to keep him in a shit hole like this. Even if it's the most 'secure' place… we could probably set up a barrier in any of the other hotel rooms/

/How scared is he? What's he thinking? Will he get home safely? Will he get home at all? What's going to happen to his friends, his loved ones? When's it going to end, more importantly, how's it going to end… Gods, I don't have the faintest idea what I'd think if I was him…/

Harry stood up from his seat and walked over towards Jim. His steps fell heavy on the hard, concrete floor and he only stopped when he was inches away from the invisible barrier, the faint hum barely loud enough for him to pick up. A strand of his long hair fell in front of his face. He let the aquamarine strand hang there, noticing that it looked even more distinctively green in the shadows and bare light. 

Harry pushed the rogue strand back and sighed loudly. His gaze was fixed on Jim's sleeping form, burrowed beneath the thin blankets. His legs were curled to his chest, struggling to keep warm and get a decent sleep in the cruel prison. 

The entire scene reminded him so painfully much of himself, as a poor, helpless boy struggling just to stay alive in the hard, mean world that gave him nothing except a hard smack in the face. Harry wanted entirely to help Jim out in some way, anyway…

/There isn't anything I could do to help him…/ Harry sadly realized. /We have to keep him prisoner until Gene Starwind gives us the XGP and the bio-android girl that serves as the navigation system. I can't let him go free…not yet… I can't take him from this cold dark cell… Ron would kill me… I can't take him to his loved ones or back to his friends. How can I offer him anything? /

Harry clenched his hand into a fist. He felt the anger burning inside of him and growing. It was like an overpowering wave that he could only bite back for so long. There was little Harry could do about it…once it started it was impossible to suppress. He'd found that the best way to cope was to let it out immediately; scream, punch, shoot, anything to let it out before it grew and ate at him, making his head spin and driving him insane. His mind would get foggy and then whatever carnal, dark impulse surfaced would be let out in an unholy display of raw power and hate.

Helpless… He was helpless against the outbursts. Just let it out fast before it builds up and takes control.

"Shit! Goddamnit! There's nothing I can do," He spat angrily to noone in particular. 

/It's always the innocent people that get hurt. I've never been able to help anybody, I've always been helpless myself/ His thoughts turned sinister and he wished again that he could kill Hot Ice Hilda, whom he was convinced was the start of all this trouble. /That bitch! She just had to go out of her way to fuck things up didn't she!?! She stole the damn ship in the first place! URGH! /

"GODDAMNIT! WHY CAN'T I DO ANYTHING?!?!" He finally howled, banging his fist brutally against the invisible barrier. A loud clang rang throughout the room but it was nothing compared to the echo of Harry's burst of pain.

And even as the loud, anguished cry died from the wall, Harry was horrified at himself. He wanted to sink into the sewers below the hotel and stay there forever like the freak he was. 

"What is it?!?! What's going on?!?!" Jim yelled, jumping awake, jolted awake by the scream. The shocked boy fell off the stone bed and landed in a heap on the floor, tangled in the thin sheets. His sandy, blond, hair was matted and out of order and his large, blue eyes stared out from under a blanket in fear.

"Jim! Shit!" Harry cursed, mostly at himself. He felt brazenly ashamed for having woken Jim up, especially in such a shocking way. "I'm…I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, I,I…" He lost track of his words, completely unsure of what to say or how to explain his bizarre behavior.

"Are you ok?" Was all that Jim said in reply, and the soft, caring response very nearly made Harry's heart melt. 

/I break out into a tirade and scare him awake… and he's concerned about ME? / Harry almost couldn't believe it. /Even though I'm his enemy and keep him locked down here in this horrible cell, he looks at me with those adorable, kawaii eyes and asks if I'm ok…./

"Jim," Harry said softly.

The door opened suddenly from behind him and Harry whirled around in absolute surprise, almost ready to attack whatever or whoever entered. His heart beat faster as he got a shot of adrenaline, but it was quickly washed away as the form of his brother. 

"Harry I need to talk to you upstairs," The taller, olive skinned brother said. "We have a problem."

-end part 3

Note: One thing still really makes Harry my favorite character is the fact that he's INSANE! Well, maybe just a little insane but still not right in the head. I've of course developed millions of my own ideas about why he's that way. I'm also trying to keep him as much in character as possible. Well, I hoped you all liked it. Hopefully I'll be faster with getting the next part up.

Oh yes, I made up all that stuff about Harry living on the streets when he was young. I don't think the series ever tells you that about his past except that he's known Ron for a long time. So I guess that just opens up the area to nutcases like me to do my own poking and prodding. Well, if anyone knows better about Harry's past (or Jim's for that matter) please tell me.

[MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com][1]

masamune

   [1]: mailto:MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com



	5. Lack of Communications & Bar Standoffs

Unexpected Circumstances- An OLS fanfiction by masamune

Unexpected Circumstances- An OLS fanfiction by masamune

[MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com][1]

Warnings: Yaoi, not graphic, angst, language.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Outlaw Star, ch!

Archive: Anyone that wishes to archive any of my fics is welcome to.

Note: For anyone that is just picking up here I'd like to inform them on something. In the last part the Power Company cancelled Gene's phone lines since he had built up such huge debt. Also Jijomi is a man hired by the Kei pirates to kill Gene.

Part 4- Lack of Communication and Bar Standoffs

"You just can't get in touch with him?" Harry MacDougall shook his head, his sea green hair falling over his shoulder. Currently he was very confused, but there was one clear thing he could make out, Ron wasn't happy. "He just, like, disappeared? Fell off the planet? Gone?" 

"Yeah, I don't know Harry…" Ron said, putting his head in his hands and looking over at his brother. The two notorious mercenaries sat around the luxurious marble living room table. "I checked a few of the places Starwind's known to hang around, nobody'd seen him recently…"

/Kuso! This is just great…/ Harry thought cynically to himself. /What the hell is that clown think he's up to? From the way Ron told me it sounded like the guy even cancelled his phone number. But why would he run away at a time when his friend is in danger? / Harry's thoughts were turned back to Jim, still down in the basement, and it was a minute before he realized his brother was still talking to him.

"…After all he's known around there, but they had no information on him." Ron was gazing off, concentrating on some distant point. "Maybe he changed addresses or phone lines or something like that?" The older of the two asked aloud, wondering to himself.

"Maybe he got rubbed out by someone else…" Harry said the idea as it formed in his head. "The Kei Pirates may have finally caught up to him ne?"

"Iie," Ron replied firmly, standing up and removing his rain-slicked coat and casting it aside. "Starwind isn't that careless. If the Kei Pirates had gotten him they would have had to come down real hard, and we would have heard about it. Hai, he's still alive," Ron breathed the last sentence as if trying to reassure himself.

/Oh my God! Jim!/ Harry thought quickly, his composure breaking and ashe became flustered. /If we can't find Starwind then what will happen to Jim? Who knows what could have happened to the XGP? This throws all our plans out of whack…/

"What are we going to do with Jim?" Harry asked then. 

"Who?" Ron raised an eyebrow. It was clear his thoughts had been fixed on problems that had nothing to do with Jim. Harry wondered if his brother gave half a damn about the frightened boy that they were holding prisoner.

"Jim," Harry said, expecting Ron to catch on. When a vacant stare answered him he continued, "Jim, the kid we're holding hostage. What are we going to do with him?"

Ron looked away for a second in thought and then spoke, "We'll just have to hold him here until the exchange can be carried out. Can't just give him up, iie, I'll find Gene Starwind. I got a feeling that he's still on this planet."

/Could this guy have abandoned Jim? / Was Harry's thought. /What if he did run away and Ron can't track him down? What happens to Jim then? /

Thoughts of dark, cold nights flooded into the young outlaw's head. Cold, alone, shivering under half torn blankets and rags, by the embers of an expired fire… Iie. Harry pushed the bad memories back into the closet of his mind and shook his head as if trying to clench a lock on the door handle. It never locked.

Ron yawned and stood up, glancing over at the ancient grandfather clock. It was almost 4 in the morning. He stretched and yawned again, appearing to start to relax. The only thing that spoke otherwise was the light in his eyes that told Harry when Ron was thinking seriously about a problem. 

"We might as well get some sleep ne?" Harry suggested, beginning to feel his own weariness. "We'll figure something out in the morning."

"Hai…" Ron nodded, more to himself than to Harry. Ron walked off towards their room and stopped just in the doorway. He turned to his brother, "You coming to bed?"

"Huh? Err…iie, not yet," Came the unsure answer from Harry.

"Hey, something bothering you?" Ron asked his brother. Even in his tired state the professional mercenary knew his younger brother and partner. Something was obviously eating at him.

"I'm fine," Harry said right away, his response coming just too quickly. His mind raced for something to say. "I've got to grab my jacket from downstairs. I left it when I went to check on the kid." He motioned to his bare shoulders; he really had forgotten his vest in the basement. "I'll probably hit the sack soon though." 

/As much as I don't like hiding things from Ron/ Harry was telling himself, /It would make such a mess if he knew how attached I'm getting to Jim. I don't want to disappoint him…/ 

He gave Ron as reassuring a smile as he could muster, but it came out as a weak, flat feint. Although he was concerned about his only brother, Ron knew he wouldn't get any answers tonight. It was impossible to help Harry when he refused to talk about his problems.

"Well goodnight then," Ron walked into the room and slowly closed the door. 

"Hey! Some guy was jus' in here tonight lookin' for you pal," The bartender leaned forward and gave Gene a probing stare. "He was all serious an' business type too, ya know?"

"He wasn't an old, wrinkled ugly guy with a heavy drawl was he?" Gene asked, hoping that the answer would be a no. Running into a trained assassin would be the extra kick in the ribs. 

"Yep, that's him alright!" The bartender said casually, turning to place a newly cleaned glass on the counter, missing Gene's frown as the young outlaw hung his head. "Oily lookin' bastard he was too! Just between you and me pal, I wouldn't want to run into him, he was packin' heat. At leas' a few guns and I think I caught a glimpse of a sword or somethin' like that under his coat."

/I guess that Zorlin guy wasn't bluffing on the phone a few days ago…/ Gene thought, recalling the late night phone call from the aged assassin. /The Kei pirates hired him to kill me and take the Outlaw Star… Doesn't that mean that the pirates aren't behind Jim's disappearance? Who was that then? Shit! This is all getting too complicated, what a mess…/

The smoky bar sounds surrounding him, Gene just looked vacantly ahead. The front door swung open, a few eyes wandered to the man that entered but quickly returned to their respective glasses or the TV over the bar. Gene was consumed by his own thoughts, trying to pick through all of the many problems. Owing money to Fred and the power company wasn't anything new… But he was worried about Jim, and about his own life. 

/What a terrible week… I promised Jim I'd see that new movie with him…/ Gene gazed at the wooden crest of the pub's walls. /I can't believe I didn't act sooner. Sitting on my ass like a lazy good for nothing while he's out there somewhere; what kind of friend am I? What kind of shit am I pulling sitting here wallowing in my misery? /

Snapping his head up from his deep reflection, the red haired adventurer found that the bartender was looking at him strangely… or…

"I think you need somethin' to drink buddy," The man said seriously, "A good drink always helps me when I'm down ya know?"

"I can't drink tonight," Gene answered and immediately his hand pushed into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Pulling out a faded, dull picture of Jim he showed it to the bartender and asked, "You wouldn't have happened to see anyone that looked like him lately? Like just in the past few days maybe? I guess he's a little older than in this picture but…"

"Nope," The bartender shook his head. "Can't remember seein' anyone like that lately. Ya know…" He paused and Gene tracked the man's line of sight to something just behind him. "…stuff like this happens all the time, sad really."

Intensely alert, Gene tucked the picture back into its place in the wallet and sighed. Putting it into his pocket Gene grabbed a hold of his gun and swung himself around in his seat, shooting at the cloaked man a few feet behind him. The bullet smacked into the light screen, a familiar ringing sound echoed through the bar, contrasting the gunshot's crackle. Gene looked up to face Jijomi Zorlin. The young outlaw aimed directly at the short man's head.

"Don't move asshole!" Gene shouted, standing and keeping his gun trained on the cloaked figure.

"Mr. Starwind…" The assassin drawled gruffly, his tone calm amidst the chaos in the bar as people threw themselves behind tables and bumbled about in drunken stupor. "You just fired a bullet from that 9mm gun which was deflected by my light screen. Your next shot will have that same effect. You hold absolutely no advantage and therefore should not be making any demands of me" He took a confident step forward. Gene didn't fire. 

Stepping closer, Jijomi's hooded face came into the light. It was still the same wretched, wrinkled atrocity, except enormous goggles covered his sunken brown eyes. Gene cursed under his breath and slowly lowered his gun. Against a light screen like that, this gun was useless. 

/But I'll bet that old fart won't be very confident when I pull out my Hollinger on him/ Gene thought, referring to the larger, much more powerful gun that was still concealed under his yellow cloak. 

"Your '24 Hollinger R-series won't be of much use either," Jijomi added, making Gene's face go empty of color. "My light screen is a level 6, the same level as the one you're wearing right now."

"How the hell could you possibly know what I'm carrying?" Gene said, trying to sound bold but ending up absolutely confused. 

"These goggles can see through anything except certain metals," Smirking, the old man tapped the weather beaten goggle frames. "I can see every single item you're carrying."

"That's really pretty disgusting you old letch," Gene said in response, gaining a few laughs from drunken onlookers. "God knows you're sporting a huge boner under that ratty cloak of yours. Shame on you Jitototo! Looking at young men in a bar with…"

"JIJOMI Zorlin is my proper name you rude, stupid young baka!" Roared the ancient killer in anger. "besilent and listen well before I spill your blood all over this sickened disease filled dump!"

"Nani? I love this place!" A very drunk orderly yelled from somewhere, making Gene smirk a little.

/This guy said he would use similar equipment to me/ Gene recalled the old man's words. /Which means he can't use anything bigger than my Hollinger, which my own light screen is more than enough to handle… Phew, it's a lucky break I decided to bring my light screen with me today/

A strange stagnant quiet filled the entire bar, a nervous tension gripping the more sober citizens. All but the two experienced outlaws were expecting a frenzied gunfight to ensue. 

"Well then!" Gene said enthusiastically, smiling wickedly at his adversary. "Looks like you can't do much to hurt me then ne? You could kill me with a gun powerful enough to break my light screen, but that wouldn't be honorable ne?" He decided to lay the sarcasm thick because he thought he was relatively safe.

"You remember my rules! I'm impressed Mr. Starwind. But you are wrong," Jijomi answered solemnly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out what looked like a remote control. He pushed a red button and a faint humming sound emanated from both he and Gene. "No neither of us has a light screen, I've disabled both of them."

/…………shit! / Gene said to himself but kept his smile. /Looks like it'll be a good-old fashioned gun fight now… I'll bet I'm ten times faster than this dried up prune/

"Iie, I won't kill you here," Sighing softly and letting his arms drop to his sides, Jijomi stared straight ahead at Gene. "It would be so…so…ugly… A shootout in a dirty bar, a place for whelps and hooligans…. Iie… Even you deserve a better death than that Mr. Starwind."

"If you're not here to kill me then what the hell do you want?" Gene shouted, his annoyance at the old man growing increasingly. "This isn't a game to me you know!"

"Of course it's not a game!" The wrinkled assassin spat. "It's a hunt! A challenge!" He stopped and removed his goggle, exposing his sunken brown eyes to the dim light. "I merely came here to finish telling you my terms and rules. Every man, no matter how ignorant and rude, deserves to know what he's up against…"

"An ugly, wrinkly old geez," Gene snickered under his breath, just loud enough so that Jijomi could hear. "Listen Jijumangi…"

The movement was fast, the wrinkled killer going for his gun with frightening speed. Gene quickly tried to react, reaching for his own gun, but he was too late. Even as his hand found the butt of his pistol he heard the cocking sound of Jijomi's own gun. 

/He's got a fast draw… /

"My name," The old man said, screaming at the top of his voice, "is JIJOMI ZOR…"

"NOBODY MOVE!!!"

The tavern door was kicked down and two police officers came running in hurriedly, their guns already drawn. The sound of sirens screaming came from the streets outside. Jijomi shot one last, dark glance at Gene, still with his hand on the grip of his gun, and then whirled around.

Bullets flew, sirens wailed, people screamed, furniture snapped under stampeding drunks and hell broke loose in the small space of about four seconds. The interrupted killer fired only two shots, the bark of his gun sounding instant death as the two men crumpled to the floor. Another police officer appeared in the doorway and was immediately dropped to the wooden floor by a precise bullet. The bar patrons began running about, knocking over anyone and anything in their paths.

Turning and making a fast break for the back exit, Jijomi Zorlin glanced back at the bar. Gene was nowhere to be seen.

-end part 4

Note: I could not for the lift of me think of a way to end the standoff between Gene and Jijomi! I was going to add another scene with Jim and Harry to this part but I figured if I didn't get this thing out I'd be eaten alive. I have to thank everyone that's sent feedback to me. You guys, the readers and especially the people that write back to me are what keep me going. Don't worry, the next part will have much, much more of Harry and Jim.

Send feedback to MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com 

   [1]: mailto:MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com



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